Simonoonops Harvey, 2002

Platnick, Norman I. & Dupérré, Nadine, 2011, The Goblin Spider Genus Simonoonops (Araneae, Oonopidae), American Museum Novitates 2011 (3724), pp. 1-32 : 4-11

Simonoonops Harvey

Eusimonia Dumitrescu and Georgescu, 1987: 94 (type species designated only via the heading “ Eusimonia orghidani g.n., sp.n. ”; preoccupied in the Solifugae by Eusimonia Kraepelin, 1899 ).

Simonoonops Harvey, 2002: 456 (replacement name for Eusimonia Dumitrescu and Georgescu, 1987 , with Eusimonia orghidani [= Simonoonops craneae (Chickering) ] formally designated as the type species).

DIAGNOSIS: Members of Simonoonops resemble those of Dysderina and Costarina Platnick and Dupérré (2011) in having three transverse ridges on the sternum (figs. 6, 79); they differ from members of Dysderina by lacking a groove connecting the anterior pair of spiracles, from those of Costarina by having a groove connecting the posterior pair of spiracles (figs. 13, 41), and from both by having a much more complex embolic region (figs. 10–12, 64, 65).

DESCRIPTION: Total length of males 1.4–2.0, of females 1.7–2.5. Typical coloration carapace dark red-brown; sternum, mouthparts, and abdominal scuta orange-brown, without pattern; abdominal soft portions white, without pattern; legs yellow-brown, often with anterior or all femora darkened. Cephalothorax: Carapace ovoid in dorsal view, anteriorly narrowed to 0.49 times its maximum width or less (figs. 1, 31), pars cephalica strongly elevated in lateral view (figs. 3, 33), anterolateral corners without extension or projections, pars thoracica with rounded posterolateral corners, without depressions or radiating rows of pits, posterolateral edge without pits, posterior margin not bulging below posterior rim, posterolateral surface without spikes; most of surface of elevated portion of pars cephalica covered by low tubercles, producing strongly reticulate appearance, sides granulate; fovea absent, lateral margin straight, rebordered, with blunt denticles; plumose setae near posterior margin of pars thoracica absent; marginal and nonmarginal pars cephalica and pars thoracica setae light, needlelike, scattered. Clypeus margin strongly rebordered (figs. 2, 32), sinuous in front view, vertical in lateral view, high, ALE separated from edge of carapace by their radius or more, median projection absent (except for fused chilum); setae light, needlelike. Chilum undivided, fused to clypeus, seam present. Eyes six, well developed, ALE largest, oval, PME squared, PLE oval; posterior eye row slightly recurved from above, slightly procurved from front; ALE separated by slightly less to slightly more than their radius, ALE-PLE separated by less than ALE radius, PME touching throughout most of their length, PLE-PME separated by less than PME radius. Sternum wider than long, not fused to carapace, surface smooth except for three transverse ridges connected by longitudinal ridge along midline (fig. 6), median concavity and hair tufts absent, with radial furrows between coxae I–II, II–III, III–IV, furrows smooth, radial furrow opposite coxae III absent, surface without pits, with tubercles at sides of smooth areas between ridges and at posterior margin, sickle-shaped structures absent, anterior margin with continuous transverse groove, posterior margin extending posteriorly beyond anterior edges of coxae IV as single extension but without posterior hump, anterior corner unmodified, lateral margin with infracoxal grooves bearing anterior and posterior openings, distance between coxae approximately equal, extensions of precoxal triangles absent, lateral margins with bridges to coxae; setae sparse, light, needlelike, densest laterally. Chelicerae slightly divergent, anterior face with swelling (figs. 4, 34); promargin and retromargin usually each with single tooth, but retromarginal tooth small, easy to overlook (figs. 5, 35); fang without toothlike projections, directed medially, shape normal, without prominent basal process, tip unmodified; setae light, needlelike, densest medially; paturon inner margin with pairs of enlarged setae, distal region abruptly narrowed, posterior surface unmodified, promargin with row of flattened setae, inner margin sometimes with laminate groove. Labium triangular, not fused to sternum, posterior portion flattened, anterior portion at sharp angle, anterior margin slightly excavated in males (fig. 7) but not females (fig. 36), same as sternum in sclerotization; with six or more setae on anterior margin, subdistal portion with unmodified setae. Endites same as sternum in sclerotization, those of males distally excavated, with separate ventral and dorsal processes anteriorly (fig. 7), posterior part unmodified; serrula reduced to two widely separated, long teeth (figs. 8, 37), serrular area occupied by series of long, fringed setae, of which most basal seta is greatly thickened, fringeless (figs. 8, 37). Female palp without claw or spines; tibia with three trichobothria (fig. 38), patella without prolateral row of ridges, tarsus elongate (figs. 39, 40). Abdomen: ovoid, without long posterior extension, rounded posteriorly, interscutal membrane without rows of small sclerotized platelets. Book lung covers large, ovoid, without setae, anterolateral edge unmodified; posterior spiracles connected by groove, which continues past spiracles almost to lateral margins (figs. 13, 41), anterior spiracles not connected by groove. Pedicel tube long, ribbed, scutopedicel region unmodified, scutum extending far dorsal of pedicel; plumose hairs, matted setae on anterior ventral abdomen in pedicel area, and cuticular outgrowths near pedicel absent. Dorsal scutum strongly sclerotized, covering more than three-quarters to full length of abdomen, usually with no soft tissue visible from above in males, slightly smaller in females, not fused to epigastric scutum, middle surface and sides smooth, anterior half without projecting denticles. Epigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, surrounding pedicel, not protruding, small lateral sclerites absent, without lateral joints in females. Postepigastric scutum strongly sclerotized, long, semicircular, fused to epigastric scutum, anterior margin unmodified, with short posteriorly directed lateral apodemes. Spinneret scutum present, incomplete ring, with fringe of long setae; supraanal scutum absent. Abdominal setae light, needlelike, frontal epigastric area setae not thickened; dense patch of setae anterior to spinnerets absent, interscutal membrane with setae. Colulus present, tiny, with pair of setae. Anterior lateral spinnerets bisegmented, posterior medians unisegmented, posterior laterals bisegmented (fig. 44); spigots scanned only in S. craneae , anterior laterals with single major ampullate gland spigot and four piriform gland spigots in males (fig. 16), five in females (fig. 45), posterior medians with two minor ampullate gland spigots and one aciniform gland spigot in males (fig. 17), nine in females (fig. 46), posterior laterals with three minor ampullate gland spigots and one aciniform gland spigot in males (fig. 18), 10 in females (fig. 47). Legs: femur IV not thickened, same size as femora I–III, patella plus tibia I shorter than carapace, tibia I unmodified, tibia IV specialized hairs on ventral apex and ventral scopula absent, metatarsi I, II mesoapical comb absent, metatarsi III, IV weak ventral scopula absent. Leg spines present on anterior femora, tibiae, and metatarsi (figs. 15, 48), absent on posterior legs (fig. 49). Tarsi without inferior claw. Superior claws (scanned only in S. craneae ) of males apparently with single row of four large teeth on legs I, II (figs. 25, 26), with two rows of teeth on legs III, IV, row on median surface with most distal tooth long, row on lateral surface with most distal tooth short (figs. 27–30); superior claws of females each with two rows of teeth, row on median surface with most distal tooth long, row on lateral surface with most distal tooth short (figs. 55–60). Trichobothrial base with numerous parallel ridges (fig. 24). Tarsal organ with three sensillae on legs I, II (figs. 19, 20, 50, 51), two on legs III, IV, palp (figs. 21–23, 52–54). Genitalia: Male epigastric region with sperm pore small, triangular with rounded angles, situated between anterior and posterior spiracles, rebordered (fig. 14); furrow without Ω-shaped insertions, without specialized setae. Male palp of normal size, not strongly sclerotized, right and left palps symmetrical, proximal segments pale orange, cymbium and bulb yellow, embolus dark, without prolateral excavation; trochanter of normal size, unmodified; femur of normal size, two or more times as long as trochanter, without posteriorly rounded lateral dilation, attaching to patella basally; patella shorter than femur, not enlarged, without prolateral row of ridges, setae unmodified; tibia with three trichobothria (fig. 9); cymbium ovoid in dorsal view, completely fused with bulb, no seam visible (figs. 10, 12), not extending beyond distal tip of bulb, plumose, stout setae absent, without distal patch of setae; bulb 1 to 1.5 times as long as cymbium, stout, elongated. Embolus accompanied by conductor, often complexly twisted around conductor (fig. 11). Tegulum with small lobe at base of embolar complex, lobe typically touching base of conductor (figs. 64, 82, 97, 112, 143, 158, 200). Female genitalia with conspicuous atrium containing sclerotization (fig. 42); anterior genitalic process long, narrow (fig. 43).

DISTRIBUTION: Known only from coastal Venezuela, Guyana, and the Lesser Antilles.